


Objective Perspective

by MapleHere



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Klunk isn't the MAIN focus but it's definitely there, Multi, OC: Zurata of Goma, from the perspective of an OC, there's a lot more going on than just that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-03-03 15:26:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13344072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MapleHere/pseuds/MapleHere
Summary: Zurata, a Galran soldier from the planet of Goma, turns against the Empire when faced with the paladins of Voltron and decides to help them.  As the rebels help her in her mission to ensure her family’s safety, she can’t help but notice the strange dynamics between certain paladins as an interesting relationship develops.





	1. Chapter 1

The military had been her idea, she recalled.  Her family had needed the money, and as long as she stuck with desk jobs she should have been safe.  That’s what she had told herself for ages before enlisting.  It’s what she had told her mother as well.

But then the War started.  The War on Voltron.

Lord Zarkon had sent out a systems-wide draft, and since her name had already been in with the other volunteers, she’d been put in one of the defense stations.  The only problem with that was the simple fact that she hadn’t been put behind a desk.  She’d been handed a blaster and a Galra uniform and told to “blend in.”  It had not been her plan to be a soldier, but she had taken to the duty fairly well.

Oddly enough, she had the aim of a seasoned marksman and the nerve of a warrior.  She had ascended the ranks quickly, and her family was proud, though reasonably afraid.  Everyone under the rule of the Galra Empire was afraid.  Afraid of Zarkon, afraid of Voltron, and afraid of what would happen when a victor was declared.

At least under the Empire, squabbles among member planets were nonexistent.  Even if Zarkon was cruel, no one had governed their own planet for thousands of years.  Without the rigid structure the Galra had put in place, freedom in the long-term might not be the best thing.

And so, though Zarkon was a hideously evil dictator, it hadn’t been difficult to recruit an army.

Zurata shook her head harshly and charged her blaster.  Now was not the time for philosophy and distractions.  Team Voltron was attacking.  There was little she could do on her own to hold them off--did she even _want_ to?--but as she watched the red paladin’s sword slam through the crease in the door, she knew she had no choice.

He wouldn’t be interested in the fact that she wasn’t Galra.

 _Blend in_.

He wouldn’t care that she didn’t _want_ to be on this side of the fight.

_For your family._

Zurata knelt in front of the door next to another from her team and signaled those behind them to do the same.  She lined her blaster up and took a slow breath.  This was it.  She would never see her family again.  Her mother, her sisters, her cousins.

 _I hope they are not collateral too,_ she thought as the red paladin pried the door open.  And then she fired.

Being at the front of the firing line and closest to the enemies’ point of entry, she got the fewest shots in, but the leading paladin’s shield did a more than decent job deflecting them.  The green and blue paladins came in behind Red, and there was quite a bit of scuffling before she had the smallest one pinned to the wall.

Just as her finger found the trigger, she paused.  There was something in Green’s eyes that reminded her of her sisters, and she realized something that had her dropping the paladin.

“These are _children_ ,” she choked out, turning to study the battle raging around her.  “The Alteans have commandeered _children_ to pilot Voltron…to fight their war...”  She looked at their faces through their helmets and began to shake her head as she raised her blaster once more, this time on her own troops.

_Pchu!  Pchu!  Pchu!_

She took out her fellow soldiers one at a time.  A shot to Yanokip’s hip, one to Tanuko’s shoulder, another through Pantok’s knee.  She couldn’t bring herself to deliver a finishing blow, but it was enough to let the paladins realize what she was doing.

Tears streaked her face as she took down her friends, as she realized that she’d taken the wrong side in this war.  Her family was in danger now, more than ever before, and all because of a lapse in judgment.

 _If it is only a lapse, then why are you still helping them?_ her mind asked her as she hurried after them.

She grabbed the tallest one’s arm and came to an abrupt stop in the hallway.  “My family.”

“Uh...your family…?” Blue responded, his face contorting into what Zurata assumed was confusion.

“Can you guarantee my family’s safety now that I have betrayed the Empire?”

“I’m...sure we can work something out…?”

“Lance!  Now is _not_ the time to be picking up a date!” Green yelled from down the hall as they tried to hack into the door.

 _Lance,_ she thought to herself as he rushed to rejoin the trio.   _I will hold you responsible for your words, Lance._

She followed Lance quickly and helped the small one--Pidge, as she’d found out--open the door more efficiently.

“Why are you here?” she asked Lance quietly as they walked carefully through the eerily quiet hall on the other side of the door.  The sentries had apparently been “decommissioned” by a “jammer” Pidge had activated on the other side of the door.

“We’re looking for someone,” the red one-- _Keith_ \--said quietly.

“You Galra guys sure know how to host a heck of a welcoming party,” Lance said, but Zurata shook her head.

“I am not a...a ‘Galra guy;’ I am from a planet called Goma.  The Galra conquered my planet over two thousand orbits ago, and we have been slaves to Lord Zarkon ever since.”

“Sounds like your planet’s story is a lot like everyone else’s,” Pidge commented.

“Only difference is, most people didn’t start working for the enemy.”  Keith’s tone was sour.

“Wha--?  Keith!  Yes, they did!  The Balmerans worked the mines; there was any number of races at the Mall, either working for or paying the Galra Empire.  They didn’t have a choice.”

“Guys, this conversation is not important right now.  Bicker on the way back or something.”

Zurata looked between Lance and Keith, wondering how the two could function within a team unit, but her confusion was erased when they entered the next room.  As troops fired on the door, Lance shielded Pidge while providing covering fire for Keith, who got in close enough to shut the door on the opposite side.

 _Impossible,_ Zurata thought to herself.  Even she couldn’t read the symbols splayed across the screen, but Keith seemed to know the exact sequences to lock down the room.

Maybe they were children, but they were also trained soldiers, and she seemed to have forgotten that.  Team Voltron was the reason the people of the Galra Empire said their prayers at night, the reason children feared the loss of their parents.  For most of the universe, Voltron was not a defender; it was the Reaper.


	2. Chapter 2

The mission, according to Lance, “went off without a hitch,” but Zurata was unsure what that meant.  Keith had immediately come back with a retort that Zurata herself was a “hitch,” and that they hadn’t found whoever they were looking for either.

The princess seemed unfazed by their words and offered neither of them a response as she studied Zurata from her head down to her feet.

“And you’re sure it’s safe to bring her here?  How do you know she’s not a spy?”

Pidge’s face twisted in a way that made the Allura rephrase her words.

“She works...worked for the Galra, how do we know where her loyalties lie?”

“She  _ saved _ our  _ lives, _ Allura,” Pidge insisted.  “She had me pinned to a wall and just...turned around and started firing.  She helped us out of the  _ mess _ that mission was turning into.  If she went back now, she’d be in  _ huge _ trouble.”

“Princess...if I may…” Zurata said softly, kneeling to show respect.  “My planet, Goma, has been enslaved by the Galra for generations, and now my family is in danger because of my betrayal.  I do not regret my decision to protect your paladins, as they are but children in my eyes, but my choice will not be taken lightly.  I can only pray that my family will be spared.”

There was a moment of silence while they all took in her words, and then a hand was on her shoulder.  She raised her eyes from the ground and was shocked to find the princess knelt in front of  _ her. _  “Zurata, was it?  I will do my best to ensure the safety of your family, as you have done the same for mine.  Thank you.”

“It...it is my pleasure, Highness.”  Her mind raced with things she truly wished to say to the Altean in front of her, but to insult a royal would be to disgrace her family even further.

She stood after the princess and gladly followed Lance out of the room, more than happy to escape her presence.

“I know she’s scary, but she’s really not so bad, y’know?” Lance said after a moment, and Zurata realized that her relief must have shown in her body language.  “I mean, she’s pretty bossy, but that’s her job; she’s the princess.”

“I see,” she said softly with a nod.

As they turned the corner, Lance let out an unholy screeching noise, a sound Zurata had never heard the likes of, even when facing the most horrifying of monsters.

“Hunk!!”  The blue paladin took off down the hall toward another young person that Zurata was only now seeing.  She watched the lanky boy launch himself into the arms of this “Hunk.”

“Lance!  I heard things went south; I was just coming to check on you guys!  Are you okay?” Hunk asked, holding Lance at arms-length.

“We’re fine, thanks to Zurata!” he responded, motioning toward the Goman as she approached them.

She offered a small bow as she stopped in front of the two, though her height likely took away from the gesture.  “It is a pleasure to meet you, paladin.  Lance has been very friendly, and I am sure you will offer similar treatment.”

“Of course I will!  You saved my Lance; I owe you one!” Hunk responded, and Zurata found herself taken aback as he grabbed her hand and shook it vigorously.  A strange behavior, she noted, but then this whole interaction seemed strange.

She had much to learn.

~*~

Zurata quickly found herself floundering in the questions she was presented with once she’d bathed and been given some spare clothes.  She gave Team Voltron as much information on the Galra as she’d had access to, but for Allura, it didn’t seem to be enough.  She had so many  _ questions _ .

Okay, so maybe the paladins had more, but their questions were more...fun?  Was that the word?  Hunk asked about the cuisine and culture of Goma; Pidge wondered if there was any technology that had developed independently from what the Galra had brought; Lance asked about her mother and her sisters; Keith (rather insistently) requested that she show him some of the techniques she’d learned while within Zarkon’s ranks.  Even Coran was more pleasant than the princess, readily listening to each answer she offered and nodding along to her stories, though some of them led her off-track.

“What is family life like with Galra around?” Lance asked, and Zurata thought she could see worry in his eyes for a moment.

“It was...frightening...unsettling, if you will...but not all of my childhood was unpleasant.  There were still games and jokes, and some soldiers would even join the children, but that ended shortly after your...after Voltron’s first attack on the Empire.  Even before I was recruited, the Galra officers were replaced with robotic sentries and strict curfews were put in place…”

Zurata shook her head and cleared her throat.  “I...I apologize...I do not wish to speak about this any longer…”

Allura’s face scrunched up and she drew in a sharp breath, starting to wag her finger at the Goman.  “That is  _ not _ how this works.  You promised us information, but you’ve given us next to  _ nothing! _  How are we to trust you if you can’t--?!”

“Princess, you have my sincerest apologies, but what more do you want from me?”

The Altean was taken aback by her interruption, as she had been nothing but polite and submissive up to this point.  “What I  _ want _ is what you agreed to,” she said sharply.  “I  _ want _ information on the Galra, but all you’ve given us are ridiculous anecdotes about things that  _ don’t matter! _  I have been  _ extremely _ patient with you and we still have  _ nothing new! _  The only thing even  _ remotely  _ useful that you’ve said is that the forces on your planet are nothing but sentries and drones!”

“Allura.”

Coran’s voice was firm, and when she turned to meet his gaze, he almost looked pained by what she’d said.  “She’s just lost all contact with her family, yeah?  How about a little leeway until she’s processed things a little more thoroughly?”

“We’ve  _ all _ lost our families, Coran.  We’ll never see them again, or have you forgotten that?”

“Of-of course not, Princess, but it’s fresher for some than it is for the two of us,” he said, casting a glance toward Lance, who looked like the whole universe was about to implode.

“Oh,  _ please. _  What would  _ you _ know about losing family?  You didn’t even  _ have _ one!”

Coran’s eyes hardened almost immediately at Allura’s words.  “If you think even for a single  _ tick _ that I didn’t--!”  The older Altean cut himself off and drew in a sharp breath before turning to Zurata.  “You haven’t eaten, have you?  Let’s get you something nice and tasty, shall we?”

The sharp turnaround nearly gave those in the room whiplash as he headed for the door and stopping to wait for the Goman to follow.

And she did.


	3. Chapter 3

Zurata liked Coran, she decided.  He was funny and more understanding than the princess, yet he also seemed to have some depth that was easily forgotten in normal conversation.  She could see it in his eyes that there was more going on in his brain than he was letting on, but of course, she had no place asking him about it.

He let her tell him more about her family and culture, though he made no promises to do her favorite food any justice in the kitchen.  When she was finally given something to eat, it was a strange slime presented on a plate too small for its shifting form.  Unappetizing as it may have looked, however, the taste was decent and the texture wasn’t as unbearable as she thought it would be.

“Coran?” she said softly once she had finished her meal.  “If you do not mind my asking...that is, if it would not be too intrusive of a question... _ did _ you have a family of your own?”

Coran’s shoulders fell lax as a soft sigh escaped him, and Zurata could feel the melancholy that began to perforate the room.

“I did,” he breathed.  “A wonderful family; one with dreams too big and funds too small…”

The Goman bit her lip as the man before her seemed to unravel.

“And then there was the royal family, which I took care of as if I were a part of it.”

“Do...do you miss them?”

A wet laugh escaped him as he nodded.  Zurata could almost feel the tears she knew he was shedding, and then she realized that her eyes were leaking a few of their own.

“Every single day.”

There was a long moment of silence after that as Zurata allowed him to head into the adjoining kitchen to compose himself.  He didn’t seem like a man who got to express these feelings often; who was she to stop him the one time he finally did?

When she stood to take her single dish to him for cleaning, she noticed the silent shuddering of his shoulders.  Not only was he crying; he was  _ weeping. _  The anguish radiated off of him, and the only thing she could think to do was to wrap him in the largest hug she could manage.

As she comforted Coran, her only thought was that this solidified her hatred for the princess even more.  Anyone who would dare to make such a kind and accepting man this upset was unworthy of his company.

Once the Altean had finally regained his emotional stability, Zurata was taken a bit by surprise when his first words were accompanied by an apology.

“Well, this is rather awkward, isn’t it?”  Coran laughed heartily and shook his head as he wiped his face.  “I’m sorry you had to see that, Miss.  I don’t usually lose it like that, but I guess it’s taken a while to set in that they really  _ are _ gone…”

“Perhaps…“losing it,” as you said, is not so bad…” she responded, watching as he seemed to put himself back together almost immediately.  “Though it is horrible and “awkward,” grief is a necessary thing.  If we never felt awful, we would not understand the significance of feeling wonderful.”

The Altean paused then as he looked up at her.  “That’s very wise thinking, Zurata.”

“No, Coran; it is just thinking.”

“I see...well...thank you.”

And with that, Coran ended the conversation, taking her dirtied dish and sending her out of the kitchen with a gentle suggestion to get some rest.

~*~

The next time Zurata saw the paladins was at breakfast the next day, though the demeanor of the entire group had shifted.  Hunk had to carefully coax Lance in by the hand, and the Goman believed she’d heard a fair amount of verbal convincing before they’d finally walked in as well.

_ “But what if Allura tries to ask her a bunch of questions again?” _

_ “Don’t worry about it, Lance.  I don’t think she’s coming to breakfast today anyway; she really hurt Coran with what she said yesterday.” _

_ “But how do you know?” _

_ “I don’t,”  _ a slight pause and then, _ “but I don’t think she’ll mention families again, especially not like that.” _

_ “Okay...but only if you make me a breakfast burrito.” _

_ “Deal.” _

Whatever this “breakfast burrito” thing was must have been pretty good if it merited the risk of running into the princess.

“Can I have one?” escaped her throat before she could stop it, and the confusion on the faces in the room showed.

“Have one what?” Hunk asked after an awkward moment of silence.

“I...I heard Lance say something about a  _ burr-eat-oh _ .”  Nothing.  “I...apologize, I do not think that I was meant to hear that…”

“Um...it-it’s fine, uh...yeah.  You can have a burrito, just...give me a few minutes to make Lance’s first.”

_ Awkward, _ Zurata was realizing, would be a common descriptor regarding her interactions with the paladins.

“Well if they’re getting burritos, I want one too,” Pidge said after a moment, seeming to lift the weight of the artificial atmosphere a bit.  “I’m not eating goo if there’s another option.”

“Uh...okay then...four burritos and um...how about you, Keith?”

“Yeah, I...guess I’ll have one too.”

Hunk nodded once before heading into the kitchen, and Zurata studied Lance as the other paladin left.  The boy in blue took a seat next to Keith almost without hesitation, and though the latter seemed slightly uncertain of what to say, the gentle touch to his shoulder was obviously more than helpful enough.

The Goman smiled fondly at the show of affection that Pidge seemed oblivious to, likely too absorbed in their screen to notice or care.

She quite enjoyed the company of these children, she found.  They were quite the group, able to meet a stranger and take them in.

Her smile faltered.  Did they not understand the danger that could put them in?  Blindly trusting people in the midst of an intergalactic war was not a very wise tactic.

_ Diplomacy first. _  Coran had said this to one of the paladins,  _ Keith _ , she remembered.

_ “I just don’t understand why she’s not being kept somewhere more secure,” Keith whispered. _

_ “Diplomacy first, Keith.  It’s the way of Team Voltron, remember?” _

_ “No, it’s the way of  _ Altea _.  This isn’t safe.  What if she’s like Sendak?  Lance almost died last time we let our guard down; I... _ we _ can’t afford to take that risk again.” _

_ Coran paused for a moment before clearing his throat.  “Well...let’s just give her the benefit of the doubt, shall we?” _

Zurata stared at the table intently, her eyes slightly narrowed.   _ The benefit of the doubt. _  What did that mean?  Surely there could be no benefit to having a doubt, could there?  To doubt oneself was to provide an opening for an enemy.  To doubt oneself was to show weakness, to expose vulnerability.  That was all they had talked about in training.

Then again, maybe the willingness to show weakness to those stronger than you was an example of true courage.

Zurata jumped when a plate was placed in front of her.

“...burrito for the lovely Zurata, one burrito for our tech wizard, Pidge, and two for our expert swordsman, Keith.”

“Do you really have to shout, “Grub’s up,” every time you serve food?” Pidge asked dully, barely taking the time to scoot their computer to the side so they could reach their food.

They glared at Hunk as he shut their laptop when he took a seat.  “Do you really have to spend every waking moment decrypting Galra codes?”

As an admittedly playful argument blossomed in front of her, she couldn’t help but fixate on the strange words Pidge had mentioned, as well as how... _ bland _ her burrito looked.

“G...grubs?” she mumbled softly, lifting her eyes to Hunk once more.  “Hunk, am I to believe that there are...grubs...in this  _ burr-eat-oh? _ ”

The activity at the table stopped momentarily as the paladins looked at the Goman and she looked back.  She was quite confused when Lance and Keith seemed to be stifling laughter.  Was it normal to eat grubs on their “Planet Urth?”

Hunk’s expression was one that Zurata did not recognize, as he seemed amused, though not quite as much as the two currently snorting next to her.

“Uh...no, no, there’s no bugs, it’s just an Earth saying.”  Hunk said with a slight chuckle.  “It’s usually something people say in a restaurant when they finish cooking, but this is almost a restaurant, right?”

“...No, this is a spaceship…”

Hunk slapped a hand over his mouth as he snorted, but Pidge wasn’t quite so considerate with their laughter, breaking out into a crazed cackling.

The door slid open and Zurata turned, expecting Coran, but her eyes hardened as the princess stepped into the room.  Before the paladins could note the shift in her mood, Allura cleared her throat and cut through the laughter that had previously filled the air.

As the mirth died down, Allura’s confidence seemed to falter under the stony gazes of her friends.  She looked small.

“Um...Lance...I…”  She cleared her throat once more and squared her shoulders, drawing herself up.  “Lance, I want to say that I’m sorry that what I said affected you the way it did, but we must remember that the possibility  _ does _ exist that the Galra have reached Earth, especially considering how close they were when you found the Blue Lion.”

The princess watched Lance expectantly, whose shoulders had risen to his ears.  He was almost hugging himself and wouldn’t meet her eyes for what felt like an eternity.

“It’s...fine, I guess…” the paladin replied, but he sounded reluctant to accept her apology.

“Lance, no it’s not.”

Keith’s tone was as sharp as his bayard and the Altean’s expression was nearly unreadable, though confusion was definitely fighting its way onto her face.

“Keith--”

“Actually, I agree with him,” Hunk said, looking at the lanky boy.  “That was  _ not _ an apology.”  He turned back to the princess, eyes harsh.

_ Is this even the same Hunk? _ Zurata thought to herself.  He was terrifying.  She reminded herself to never upset him.

“What do you mean it  _ wasn’t an apology? _  I  _ apologized. _  I said I was sorry.”

“Saying, “I’m sorry, but I was right,” is  _ not _ an apology,” Pidge chipped, their arms crossing in front of them.

“I must agree with the paladins, Princess.  Your apology did not sound at all sincere.”

Though Zurata’s words and tone were respectful, everything else about her current demeanor made it obvious that it was strictly a formality.

Allura paused momentarily, spending a few ticks to think through her response.  Her mouth opened and closed several times before she finally settled on, “I...I see...if you’ll please excuse me…”

The door she had previously come through opened once more as she made a hasty retreat, and though the room felt a tad lighter, there was no doubt that the princess had brought the mood down.

_ It seems she has a habit of ruining things. _


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn’t until a few “days” later, as the paladins called it, that Zurata saw Allura again.  It seemed the princess had been avoiding not only her but nearly everyone else in the Castle.

It was only in passing that the Goman saw her, but she seemed to have shriveled since her failed attempt at an apology.  A few “hours” after that encounter, as she sat with her new friends, Allura entered silently, looking particularly downtrodden as she approached the group.

“I...I am so... _ so _ …sorry,” her voice was soft and nearly broken as she stopped in front of them.  “After speaking with Coran, it has occurred to me that what I said to all of you when Zurata first arrived here was... _ horrible _ , and you all have every right to be angry at me.  I am terribly sorry for how inconsiderate I was in my frustration; I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me.”

Silence permeated the room as the Altean’s words sunk in, and it was Lance who broke the tension with a genuine smile, though it was tinged with sadness.  “It’s fine, Allura.  I wasn’t really mad, just...hurt, I guess.  I won’t say it hadn’t dawned on me that I might not see my family again, or that the Galra might get there before us, but hearing it from you made it more real.”

Hunk nodded in agreement, but Keith seemed a bit more hesitant to respond to the remorse that had been presented to them.

Pidge pushed their glasses up and grinned at the princess.  “Now  _ that’s _ an apology!"

“How can you guys forgive her so easily?” the red paladin asked coldly, his arms crossed tightly in front of him.

“Keith, look how sorry she is,” Hunk said, gesturing to the girl in question.

“I must agree, Keith.  She seems truly penitent.”

“I can never take back the things that I have said, but I can try to make it right.  I’ve been thinking over the past few days, and I believe I may be able to manage a visit to this “Earth” of yours, if only to make sure that it’s safe from the Galra.”

Keith perked up at this, and Lance’s expression lost its melancholic undertones.

“Really?!  Could we see our families?” Pidge asked eagerly, and Allura smiled a little.

“I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem.”

“Should we call ahead?   _ Can _ we call ahead?  How long would it take a phone call to get to Earth if we’re traveling faster than it?”

Hunk and Pidge began to discuss the best way of sending a heads up to their family members, and Zurata watched as the princess’ smile grew more content.  She seemed rather relieved now that the others were less upset with her.

Maybe she wasn’t the  _ worst _ person Zurata had ever met.

~*~

Though Zurata was quite fond of the paladins, she found herself gravitating toward Coran more often as her time in the Castle of Lions stretched on.  Most of their shared time was spent in a companionable silence, though they each went on about their homes from time to time.  She helped teach him the recipes from Goma, and he tried as hard as he could to replicate the ones he had grown up with, though his attempts were...less than successful.

She had never had a father, as her race was made up entirely of females, but she liked to think that Coran would have been a very good one, and likely had been before the end of Altea.

“You know, Coran,” she said, glancing at him as he put their current culinary attempt into the heating unit, “I very much appreciate your attempts to make me feel at home; my stay here has been rather pleasant, all things considered.”  Her tone soured at the end of her sentence as the princess’ behavior came to mind, and the man seemed to pick up on it as he shut the “oven” and approached her.

“I’m glad I could make you feel welcome, Miss.  You shouldn’t mind Allura too much, though; after all, she’s still very young.  She’s had to grow up quickly if you think about it.  Ten thousand years in a sleep chamber, and suddenly she’s not only having to train new paladins, but also take on all of her father’s responsibilities.  It’s all been quite difficult for a girl her age.”

Zurata’s expression shifted as she considered Coran’s words for a moment.  “I was not aware that she was still considered a child,” she said, her voice soft as a realization dawned on her.  “I can only imagine the shock: waking from such a long state of cryogenesis to find yourself among the last of a species…”  She shook her head and straightened her posture.  “I...I feel I should apologize for my attitude toward her.”

Coran looked up at his friend and smiled.  “I think that might be a good idea.”

~*~

Tracking down the princess was by no means easy; it took ages to find her, and when she finally had her in her sites, she almost changed her mind.

Not that there would be a better opportunity than this down the road.  She was alone, studying a holographic star map in the Castle’s library.  No one would disturb them, and it wasn’t as if Zurata would be interrupting anything crucial.

“That map is outdated.”

The voice was hers, but she didn’t remember ordering herself to speak.

The princess had turned to glance at her, then back to the map.  “I’d be surprised if it wasn’t; it  _ is _ ten thousand years old, after all.”  Her tone wasn’t harsh, but Zurata grimaced anyway.

She approached Allura after a few moments of tense silence and pointed to a star, then selected the fifth planet in its orbit.  “This...this is Goma…?”   Her words were meant to be informative, but she sounded more doubtful than she had intended.  “It is...beautiful…

“I do not understand...how has Goma fallen into squalor when her people revere her so?”

“This is what the Galra do,” the princess said, though her tone was less matter-of-fact than it had been before.  “They harvest the quintessence--the life force--from unsuspecting worlds and, from what we’ve seen, they use it for genetic experimentation.”

A small hand landed gently on her wrist as she blinked away tears.

“I’ve actually been wanting to speak with you, Zurata.”

Her muscles tensed imperceptibly as she cast her gaze on the Altean before her.  “Yes, Princess?”

“I’m afraid I haven't been as welcoming as Coran and the others have, and I would like to apologize.  There is no justification for my behavior; you’ve been nothing but polite and my attitude has been severely lacking diplomacy, and I hope you can forgive me.”

Zurata was taken aback; she had never heard such a sincere apology before.  “I...I should apologize, as well, Your Highness.”  The Goman bowed before her, nearly taking a knee as well to lower her stature.  “I have been...less than compliant with your requests for information about the Galra, but I  _ have _ , in fact, given you all that I can.  I was fairly high-ranked, but I am unable to read the language of Daibazaal.  Your paladins, however, seem to know much more than I do.  They have the shutdown sequences memorized; even I was not taught how to execute these commands.”

“Pidge  _ is _ quite brilliant with languages; you ought to see how much our translation apparatus has improved since the Blue Lion brought them all here.”

Zurata smiled as she listened to the princess go on about her paladins, complimenting their abilities and chastising their more condemnable habits.  As time went on, the two began to share their own views on The War, discussing their concerns and possible solutions to the problems the Goman could foresee once planets were freed.

Before the two had even realized, hours had passed and they had hashed out the rough beginnings of a general plan for reconstruction that could be applied to a few different types of planets.  When Coran came to get them for the final meal of the day, Allura stood and stretched with a sigh before looking at Zurata, who nearly didn’t need to look up at her from her seat.  “Well, Zurata, I’d say that, since we seem to be passing relatively near Goma, we may as well see what we can do for your family while we’re in the area.”

Her eyes lit up and she smiled widely at the princess before standing from her chair and kneeling in front of her with her head bowed.  “Princess, thank you.  I will not forget this.”

“Please,” Zurata was slightly less startled by the hand on her shoulder this time, but just as shocked to find the Altean knelt in front of her again, “call me Allura.  My people are long gone, I’m hardly a princess anymore.”

Zurata simply nodded as the words set in.  Social standing was  _ everything _ on Goma, so to have royalty knelt in front of her, to have a  _ princess _ denying her title and demanding casual address…

Her smile softened when she gave her response.  “I am honored to receive this privilege, Allura.”

The two headed to what Allura referred to as “supper” in a comfortable silence, and Zurata decided that the princess wasn’t as bad as she had first seemed.

Not bad at all.


	5. Chapter 5

This wasn’t safe, not at all.

Every step that she took was gut-wrenching; she would surely die here.

_“You can do this, Zurata!”_ she heard Pidge call through the communication channel.  She squared her shoulders as she approached the doors to the complex that her family was housed in.  She offered the sentries a nod and salute, giving them her identification code for clearance.  She was surprised when they didn’t sound the alarm.

_“So far, so good,”_ Lance said softly into the comms.   _“Confidence is key; don’t let them think you shouldn’t be there.”_

_“Lance would you stop talking long enough for her to get inside?”_

_“Oh, wow, love you too, Mullet.”_

_“Paladins!  Now is not the time.  Please, stay focused.  Zurata, if there is even a tick where you feel like you’re in danger, start your distress beacon.”_

The Goman gave no verbal response as she made her way to her family’s habitation unit.  She took a deep breath to calm herself.  She hadn’t seen her sisters since they were small.  She hadn’t seen her mother, her _utaeda_ ,* since her last video transmission decaphoebs ago.  Not only was this a rescue mission, it was a reunion, and that was what made it so terrifying.

She knocked lightly on the door and lightened the tint in her visor once she arrived, tightening her grip on her blaster as it opened.

“Zurata...?” her mother’s voice asked softly, and she felt tears come to her eyes as she stared up at the woman who had raised her.

“ _Utaeda_ …”  Her response was a whisper, and she looked down as her siblings came to the door as well.  They had grown so much, but were still only children.  They measured about as tall as Hunk.  “Tumdo...Kalpha…”

There was a moment of silence before the four of them launched at each other in an embrace that was both suffocating and relieving.

_“Zurata, I’m sure you’re having a wonderful time down there, but--!”_

Coran’s voice was interrupted by blaring sirens, and it took a moment for her to realize that they were inside the complex.

“ _Utae,**_ we must go.  There is no time to explain; Kalpha, Tumdo, all of you, come with me.”

“Zurata, what is happening?” her mother asked, grabbing her shoulder.

“ _Vodr_ _ō_ _n, Utae,”_ she whispered.  “ _Vodr_ _ō_ _n***_ is here to save you.”

Kalpha gasped and grabbed Tumdo’s hand, the both of them looking to their mother for permission.

After a brief moment of listening to the sirens when footsteps seemed all too obvious down the hallway, she responded, “Let us go, then.”

“Hunk, are you waiting outside?” Zurata asked, leading her family up and out of the complex.  They managed to avoid most of the sentries on their way out, but she knew why that was.

_“Yeah, uh, change of plans.  Pidge is gonna pick you up in Green; they’re waiting n--!”_

There was a loud explosion, and interference cut through as the radiation broke the radio waves.

_“Hunk!!”_

Zurata growled and blasted the doors open as they arrived at the exit, signaling Pidge to pick them up.  Once they were inside, she knew they were safe.  There was no need to continue the fight now; they just needed to escape.  They would have time to nurse their wounds and make more serious plans once they made it back to the Castle.

“I’ve got Zurata and her family, Allura, are you ready for the jump?!”  The Green Lion leapt into the air as a battle raged on the ground and bolted toward the murky brown sky.

_“Ready whenever you are!”_  the princess responded, and the other three Lions rushed after Green into the small wormhole that was opening just outside of Goma’s atmosphere.  Several Galra fighters made it through and did their best to keep up, but the Castle’s defenses made short work of them once they came out.

Pidge let out a victory cry, and then Zurata offered one to match, though hers broke into laughs as happy tears streaked her face.  She looked back at her family with a genuine smile, though they looked terrified.  She would explain everything once they had been properly fed and hydrated.

Once the Green Lion had landed in the hangar with the rest of them, Pidge helped Zurata coax her family out and onto the Ship.

“ _Utae,_ these are my friends, they pilot _Vodr_ _ō_ _n._  They spared me during an attack on my base and promised me your safety in return for my loyalty, which is more than _Zaken****_ ever did for us.”

Zurata turned to gesture to the paladins and noticed that Hunk had been bombarded and was sat on the floor with Keith and Lance carefully inspecting him for any sort of injury.

“Zurata!” Coran called as he and Allura entered the hangar.

She looked over and grinned before looking back up at her mother, who seemed absolutely flabbergasted.  “ _Utaeda,_ this is Coran, perhaps my dearest friend here.  He has taken very good care of me during my stay and is sure to do the same for Tumdo, Kalpha, and you.  He already has rooms prepared for you to stay in!”

Zurata’s eyes glowed as she watched her family meet her friends, and the three near the Yellow Lion eventually came over as well, though Keith was more intent on holding Hunk’s hand than speaking with the strangers.

As they all made their way toward the hangar’s exit, Zurata simply smiled and followed everyone out.  She watched Lance throw an arm around Keith’s shoulders and ruffle the shorter boy’s hair.

“Y’know I think your mullet looks better _after_ you take your helmet off.”

“Oh, like you’re much better,” he retorted, gently elbowing Lance in the ribs.

“Um, yeah, curls _always_ look good.”

“Curls?  More like...cowlicks?  Is that the right word?”

Keith laughed at Hunk’s jab and Lance scoffed, rolling his eyes as he tossed his head back in a failed attempt to move the sweat-soaked curls stuck to his forehead.  “Yeah, sure, _laugh it up_ , you guys are just jealous because not everyone can look _this good_ when sweaty.”

“I beg to differ,” Keith said, stepping out from under Lance’s arm and turning to walk in reverse.  “I mean, look at Hunk, he always looks amazing.”

“Um, that’s because he’s _obviously_ an angel.  No human being looks good _all the time_.”

Hunk, though a bit flustered, raised a finger to gain the others’ attention.  “Might I submit: Keith is _technically_ half Galra.”

“ _Exactly._  I mean, he’s obviously not included in that rule of thumb.”

“Oh, so is that your excuse for looking like that?” Keith asked with a smirk.  “You’re only human?”

Lance stammered before settling on a glare and a pout.  “That’s just not fair; applying your inhuman beauty standards to someone like _me._ ”

Zurata was so absorbed in the endearing display before her that Allura startled her when she gently touched her wrist to get her attention.  “Let’s all get some rest, shall we?  Tomorrow, we’ll inform the Coalition of our plans to liberate your home.”

Maybe freedom wouldn’t be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have had such an amazing time working on this piece for the Voltron Rarepair Bang!! I hope you enjoyed the fic, and please feel free to leave a comment!
> 
> ~*~
> 
> *-"Utaeda" is the Goman word for "mother"  
> **-"Utae" is the equivalent of "mama"  
> ***-"Vodrōn" is the Goman word for "Voltron"  
> ****-"Zaken" is the Goman word for "Zarkon."

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! you can find me at hopped-up-on-maple-syrup on tumblr! I'd like to thank my beta, amadeus-amadeo, and my artist, rose-madder-gaze, for their help with this fic!


End file.
